One Less Belle to Answer
by rosexknight
Summary: I can't think of a good summary because it's It's 3:30am and I'm listening to the Glee medley of "One Less Bell to Answer" and "A House into a Home" and this popped into my head. Rumbelle/GoldenLace feat. Scarlet Lace(?)(Beauty) friendship. Enjoy!


One Less Belle to Answer

By: RosexKnight

 _I can't think of a good summary because it's It's 3:30am and I'm listening to the Glee medley of "One Less Bell to Answer" and "A House into a Home" and this popped into my head. Rumbelle/GoldenLace feat. Scarlet Lace(?)(Beauty) friendship. Enjoy!_

"Look on the bright side."

Lacey French leaned over the pool table, taking a shot that a few weeks ago would have been no problem and missing like a damn rookie. She huffed, taking another swig of her whiskey. It was the cheap stuff, and burned on the way down, but she didn't care. Or rather, wouldn't with a few more glasses.

"What bright side?"

Will Scarlet shifted from one foot to another. He meant well. Lacey knew that. But she wasn't much in the mood tonight. He was good for what he was. A rebound. Scarlet was nothing like Gold, and that's what she needed. And she was nothing like his last girlfriend. Really it was great in theory. Be each other's distraction, have a good lay, but it soon became apparent to both of them that no matter how good sex was it wasn't the same as making love.

"One less bell to answer." He offered, lining up his own shot, sinking the solid ball. "One less...egg to fry?"

He missed the next shot. They were both off tonight.

"One less man to pick up after?" She shot back, something akin to a smile gracing her lips.

Will lifted his glass of scotch to her "There you go! You're gettin' it!"

They clinked their glasses, simultaneously downing them. In a way she was glad Will was at least willing to hang out and be a friendly distraction. Even if they had stopped sex and only kissed when they were both really drunk on particularly hard nights (like this one) it was better than Ruby shoving her at Killian Jones and Jefferson. Not that she minded the latter too much.

"We should fucking be happy." Lacey muttered, the balls on the pool table losing their importance.

"You're not?"

"Don't talk like you are."

"Touché."

Lacey sighed, leaning against the pool table. The Rabbit Hole had once been a bit of a safe haven for her. A place where she could squeeze free drinks out of a few chumps and make some cash from betting on pool and maybe pick up someone for a fun night before having to face the real world and all its troubles again.

Things had changed briefly when Gold came into the picture though. She didn't even remember why she had kissed him that first night. Maybe it had to do with how he'd looking in the lights of The Rabbit Hole, or how sexy he looked when he'd clocked Nottingham with his cane because she just didn't have the energy to deal with him. Either way, she and Gold had worked. Really worked. She's chipped an antique teacup and accidentally pulled down the curtains of a window in his room but he didn't even care because it was her. No use in dwelling on that now she supposed. She's been stupid to think he cared about her for real and not as just another pretty thing he had acquired to look at until he was bored and moved on to whatever was shinier.

"I still cry." Will said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"Cry. Sometimes. On nights like this when it hurts the most and I don't have a distraction it's all I bloody do."

Lacey returned his broken smile. "Each time the doorbell rings I still run. And I can't walk past that damn pawn shop or even look at anything salmon."

"Or drink expensive booze?"

"Yes. Or that..."

"Do you know why he left?"

"I left. He was getting tired of me. I couldn't...I didn't want to hear him say he didn't want me anymore for real."

Will nodded. "I still don't know why she left. I only know that since he did my life's all empty."

"And forgetting just can't be done..."

They had never gotten this deep before. Hell before the conversation drifted to bright sides they had been gossiping about the new arrival Emma Sean. Lacey didn't mind the deep, though. She hadn't even told this stuff to Ruby, afraid her friend wouldn't really understand. Not that she knew if Ruby ever loved someone, really loved someone, but she knew at least Will had.

"We should be happy, dammit!" Lacey said, downing the whiskey and slamming the empty glass on the wood of the pool table. "I don't know how to stop thinking of him."

"You still love him?" That was the question Lacey wanted to avoid, had been avoiding, but Will asked again "Lace, do you still love him?"

Lacey paused, then sighed. "Of course I do..."

"Me too."

A silence swept between them, only the dull buzz of the rabbit hole about them.

"Alright." Will said, coming to lean beside her, placing his empty glass between them. "A chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sitting, right?"

Lacey quirked an eyebrow at him. "Is this supposed to be a metaphor?"

"Dunno. Sorta winging it right now." Will said. "But it's rather obvious neither of us are meant to live alone. We need to turn our houses into homes."

"Oh rhymes. You must be serious. How much have you had to drink?"

"I'm serious, Lace. Look, a broken heart that still feels means it's at least still workin'."

"I'm afraid I'm not following you, Will."

"I'm sayin' we need to get back out there. Turn our houses into homes."

Lacey rolled her eyes. "We were trying to get back out there. Literally. We. Us. This was us getting back out there."

Will looked at her, his gaze firm, all business. "You know bloody well why we didn't work."

Lacey sighed, standing back up, toying with the 8 ball she'd picked up.

"You think we should try and make it work? With Gold and with Anna?" She asked.

Will shrugged, lifting his hands and letting them fall back into his thighs with a smack. "It's worth a shot right? If something's worth messin' up your life this much over its gotta be worth fighting for yeah?"

"I don't know." Lacey sighed, putting the 8 ball back onto the pool table. "It's getting kinda late."

He nodded.!"Yeah. Let's head out. I'll walk you home."

"No I'll be fine. I think I need some time alone anyway."

Will didn't argue. They both needed time to think, really. His words kept echoing in her mind.

Chair is still a chair. House into a home. Lacey already knew damn well she wasn't meant to live alone.

And yet, there she was, climbing the stairs to her flat above the library and turning the key. Hoping he'd be there for the millionth time. Still in love. Damn idiot.

When she opened the door to her apartment and kicked off her heels though it took her a moment to register that the kitchen light was on. She went tense, wondering who had the balls to mess with Gold's now-ex-but-still-very-scrappy girlfriend. She entered the kitchen cautiously, one of her stilettos at the ready to be flung. However they soon clattered to the floor when she saw who it was making himself a pot of coffee.

"Lacey." He breathed, turning to her in that perfectly tailored suit leaning on that damn cane and how had she forgotten he had a key?

"Gold." Lacey greeted, trying hard to keep her voice even. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't say anything, though. He was just looking at her with a look she hadn't seen in his eye in...well possibly ever. Their gazes had always pierced each other, hers reading him like a book and his seeing right through her "town tart" facade. But he looked at her now like he wasn't sure she should exist, and when he stepped forward and squeezed her shoulder she could have sworn the relief in his breath was relief.

"Roy?" She asked, almost genuinely concerned for him when his eyes turned into saucers. "What are you doing here?"

"I..." He paused, swallowing before running his fingertips over her cheek. "I wanted to apologize."

Well this was certainly new. "Apologize?"

"You felt unwanted. Like a trinket. A prize for my collection."

"Wasn't I?"

Her voice held a challenge. Because that's how she'd felt. He'd become detached. Bored. Really she should have left much sooner than a few weeks ago.

Roy Gold shook his head, his eyes truly looking regretful as his hand cupped her cheek. "Never, sweetheart."

"Then why?"

"Because I'm a coward. And I was scared you'd wake up one day ms realize the monster I really am."

"You're not a monster you stupid man!" Lacey exclaimed, her fist coming down on his chest as she choked back a sob. "You're just an idiot."

"I am."

"A big fucking wanker."

"I know, love."

Lacey's head shot up, glaring at him through teary eyes. It wasn't fair. She had been trying. She was the one who was supposed to storm in, demand an explanation. Now he was all but crawling back.

"You owe me." Lacey said, stepping close to him and jabbing his chest with her finger. He winced, his hand falling on her waist. "You hear me, Roy? I'm not gonna be played with like this."

Roy nodded fervently. "Never again sweetheart."

"You promise?"

"Yes. I promise. And if I treat you as anything less than the princess you are you can kick me in my bad leg."

She allowed a smile at this, and he returned it hesitantly. "Deal."

This time his breath was a relieved one, and he looked as though he wanted to say something more. But Lacey was tired of talking. She grabbed him by that stupid pink tie and dragged him into a kiss. All tongue and teeth and passion and love. Their voices mixed, and Lacey let her hands drift to her hair as his pulled her closer to conquer her mouth and apologize properly, and vaguely wondered about the images of castles and spinning wheels and golden thread dancing behind her eyes.


End file.
